Preston Ciere is a
popular Canadian writer, speaker and outdoor advocate. He shares his stories of
backcountry adventures, with the hope of inspiring others to embark on their
own. Preston started portageur.ca to facilitate this: a website
featuring stories, ideas and resources for those wanting to find their own
connection to nature. Preston is happiest wandering the province with a canoe
on his head, and sums up his attitude with the motto “If you’re not having fun,
you’re doing it wrong.” When he’s not on the water or on a trail with his
portaging canine Nancy, you can find Preston championing various programs and
initiatives that promote the rewards of getting “out there”.
1. What does this year’s
TEDxAlgonquinPark theme, Think Outside, mean to you?
Because we spend so much time
inside now, we need to make a special effort to think about the outdoors, what
it means to us, and to do so more often. Thinking about the implied ending
("... the box"), we should not only think about the outdoors, but
also try to do so in ways we may not have previously.
2. What is your favourite thing to
do outside?
Portaging. The best stuff is
over the portage. It's great exercise, gets you to some great places,
immerses yourself further into the wilderness, and if you do it right, leaves
no trace that you were there. I love being on the water and connecting with
nature, where fewer people tend to follow.
3. What one thing should everyone
know about you?
I adopted a canine companion named
Nancy, rescued from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. She's the perfect
camping sidekick (or maybe I'm her's) who took to the Ontario backcountry as if
she'd been born there. Oh also, I look great in shorts.
4. In the spirit of TED—Ideas
Worth Spreading—tell us the best advice you’ve ever received and want to share
with others.
The best advice I've received is
about how to give advice: A person needs to be ready and open before they can
learn something or accept information. It's one of those wise-old-man pieces of
knowledge that I was lucky enough to have explained to me - demonstrated,
really. If you want to teach something, you need to wait for the right moment
and present it in such a way that is not confrontational or judgemental, but
instead is interesting and relatable. A friendly "How's it
going?" works way better than "Let me show you the right way
to do that". Another way I use this advice is though humour and
story-telling to get my views across - never pushing or preaching - and it's
especially effective when I am the butt of the jokes.
5. Without revealing the theme of
your TEDxAlgonquinParkTalk, tell us the one thing you hope people will do after
they hear you speak.
They'll get outside. They'll go on
an adventure to find a far off place on the other side of the portage and enjoy
the scenery. And they'll bring a friend.
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